Well, a lot
of them live in the boxtown, just outside the city limits. But most of
them try to leave the country and go a live in a heathen country. But
they are all full, so it’s pretty difficult to get out.

At
this point a woman in
ragged clothes comes in and clears the dishes
and starts to serve the next course.

Peter

Hey, why
don’t
we just
take them on as slaves? I’m sure they’d be better
than the ones we’ve got now.

He
looks at his plate and
turns to the woman

Peter

This
plate is dirty!

He
clips the woman round the ear! No one says anything.

Rebecca

Oh come
on Peter, you
ought to
know the answer to that – you must have done it for your
Scripture GCSE O Level. Leviticus Chapter 25 tells us we have to treat
slaves differently if they believers or unbelievers. It says "You shall
not rule over him ruthlessly; you shall fear your God”. And
we have to free them every seven years. But for non believers we can do
what we like with them.

Peter

Oh that
was next on my
revision
list.

Rebecca

We had a
bit of
excitement at
school as well.

David

What
happened to you?

Rebecca

Well,
Sarah came to
school with a
kilt on!

Ruth

Was it
too short?

Rebecca

Oh no,
it was below the
knee but
kilts are forbidden garments!

Ruth

Why?

Rebecca

Leviticus
19:19 tells us
we
mustn’t wear clothes made out of more than one type of
thread. So she had to go home and change.

Miriam

I hope
you’ve
all
remembered that it’s your cousin Jessica’s wedding
on Saturday. So if you want anything special washed, let the slaves
know.

David

I’m
glad that
she and
Susan are tying the knot. I was wondering if they’d ever get
round to it.

Peter

I
suppose
that’s about
the only advantage of being a woman. You get to chose if you want to
marry a man or a woman.

Ruth

Why
can’t men
marry each
other, mum?

Miriam

Peter,
this will be good
revision
for you. You tell her.

Peter

Well,
sis. Leviticus
Chapter 18
verse 22 says “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a
woman; it is an abhorrence”. So you see homosexuality is
specifically forbidden for men, but it’s okay for women.

They
eat in silence for a while.

Ruth

Mum?

Miriam

Yes,
Ruthie?

Ruth

If I
get all my homework
done, can I
go to the stoning?

David
and Miriam look at each other.

Miriam

I
don’t know darling.
You may not like it.

Ruth

But
all the other kids are going.
And I’ve never seen one.

Miriam

Well,
I suppose you have to go
sometime…

Ruth

Yippee!

Peter
and Rebecca object together.

Peter

That’s
not fair

Rebecca

What?
I was thirteen
before you
let me go.

Miriam

But
things are different
nowadays.
Children grow up so much faster. Remember, when your Dad and I were
growing up there were no stonings.

Peter

Well
I hope
you’re not
going to let her come to the burning next week. Those three people from
the next street that were caught together.

Ruth

Why
are they not being
stoned, like
the two people tonight?

David

Well,
Leviticus 20:10
tells us that
adulterers – like the two people tonight – must be
just stoned to death. But 20:14 says explicitly if a man knows his wife
and her mother, then all three are to be burned.